- Title: ARGENTINA: Convicted Dirty War doctor sent to prison after violating house arrest
- Date: 7th February 2013
- Summary: GUILLERMO AND ROSA SPEAKING AT THE GRANDMOTHERS HEADQUARTERS WITH THE PICTURE OF PATRICIA HANGING ON THE WALL
- Embargoed: 22nd February 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Argentina
- Country: Argentina
- Topics: Crime
- Reuters ID: LVAEC13IHNJ3JVADRRP7IUFH8DS1
- Story Text: A convicted Dirty War doctor was sent to prison on Wednesday (February 6) after he was filmed shopping on the streets of Buenos Aires in violation of his house arrest.
Jorge Magnacco was filmed by the local NGO "Hijos", a group that aims to shed light on dictatorship-era criminals, earlier this week shopping with his wife in the Argentine capital.
Following the release of the video, Magnacco was ordered to federal court where his house arrest was suspended. He was sent to prison pending a hearing.
Last year, Magnacco was sentenced to multiple prison terms for his part in delivering and stealing babies from leftist mothers who were "disappeared" during Argentina's brutal 1976-1983 dictatorship years.
Due to his advanced age, he was released from federal prison and put on house arrest.
Magnacco was found guilty of delivering at least three babies in the basement of Argentina's infamous clandestine torture centre, the ESMA Navy Mechanics School.
Guillermo Perez Roisinblit was one of those babies. His mother, Patricia Roisinblit, was one of the detainees who went missing.
"Magnacco is the person that never said he tended to a pregnant woman in the ESMA basement and he made her give birth on top of a table with the help of two detainees, and never registered or even noted at what time I was born. This is what Magnacco is to me," Roisinblit said, while sitting with his grandmother, Rosa Roisinblit, who is also the Vice President of the human rights group Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo.
He added that Magnacco's house arrest violation was unacceptable.
"Really just knowing that he is out walking about, enjoying the afternoon sun, window-shopping at the mall holding someone's hand as if nothing happened is a joke to me. Not just as far as justice, but for all the families of his victims, for his victims and also for society as a whole," he said.
Roisinblit learned of his identity and was reunited with his grandmother for the first time in 2004.
Rosa Roisinblit said the actions of groups such as "Hijos" are necessary for pursuing justice.
"I don't know who is in charge of controlling this [overseeing house arrests], but this proof that our grandchildren, our Hijos, I mean the organization called Hijos, and everyone who is for the defence of human rights, take control and denounce this, because the justice system doesn't do it, these kids do it," she said.
Along with Magnacco, other Dirty War officials - including former dictator Jorge Videla - were convicted and sentenced for their roles in the baby-stealing scheme. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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